Expression Of Autophagy-related Protein LC3 And Beclin1 In Rats With Hepatic Fibrosis And The Effects Of Blueberry

Objective:To investigate the expressions of autophagy-related protein LC3 and Beclin 1 and the effects of blueberry in rats with immune hepatic fibrosis. Methods: Sixty male healthy SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, hepatic fibrosis model group, blueberry groups at low, middle and high dose and Fu-Fang-Bie-Jia-Ruan-Gan tablet group. Except for normal control group, hepatic fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of porcine serum. Simultaneously, rats in blueberry groups were administered by gavage with blueberry juice respectively at dose of 0.25 ml/100 g BW, 0.5 ml/100 g BW and 1.0 ml/100 g BW. Rats in Fu-Fang-Bie-Jia-Ruan-Gan tablet group were orally administered by gavage with Fu-Fang-Bie-Jia-Ruan-Gan tablet(0.054 g/100 g BW) every day and the normal control group received saline alone. All rats were killed at the end of the 12 th week. Alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and reactive oxygen species(ROS) in serum were examined. Pathology changes of hepatic tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and Masson staining. Expression of LC3 and Beclin1 was detected by immunohistochemical, western blot and real-time RT-PCR. Expression of collagenⅠ(ColⅠ) was detected by western blot. Results: Refer to the serum levels of ALT and AST, there is no significant difference existed in all groups(F= 9.134, 3.497, P>0.05). Compared with normal control group, the pathological stages of hepatic fibrosis in hepatic fibrosis model group were significantly aggravated(Hc=43.952, P <0.05), the serum levels of ROS were significantly higher(F= 985.510, P <0.01) and expression of LC3-Ⅱ、Beclin1 and ColⅠwere significantly increased( F= 121.430, 117.756, 43.710, 54.005, 49.530, P <0.01). Compared with hepatic fibrosis model group, the pathological stages of hepatic fibrosis in blueberry groups at high and middle dose were significantlyreduced(Hc=43.952, P <0.05), the serum levels of ROS were significantly lower(F= 985.510, P <0.01) and expression of LC3-Ⅱ、Beclin1 and ColⅠwere significantly decreased(F= 121.430, 117.756, 43.710, 54.005,49.530, P <0.01). Conclusion: 1. The serum levels of ROS and expression of LC3-Ⅱand Beclin1 in liver tissues are increased in rats with immune hepatic fibrosis, which indicates autophagy may promote the occurrence of immune hepatic fibrosis. 2. The inhibitory effects of blueberry in rats with immune hepatic fibrosis may be associated with inhibiting autophagy by decrsesing ROS levels and down- regulating expression of LC3-Ⅱand Beclin1.